Appearance Bias and Crime

Relying on experts in criminology and sociology, Appearance Bias and Crime describes the role of bias against citizens based on their physical appearance. From the point of suspicion to the decisions to arrest, convict, sentence, and apply the death penalty, crime control agents are influenced by the appearance of offenders; moreover, victims of crime are held blameworthy depending on their physical appearance. The editor and contributing authors discuss timely topics such as Black Lives Matter, terrorism, LGBTQ appearance, human trafficking, Indigenous appearance, the disabled, and the attractive versus unattractive among us. Demographic traits such as race, gender, age, and social class influence physical appearance and, thus, judgments about criminal involvement and victimization. This volume describes the social movements relevant to appearance bias, recommends legislative and policy changes, offers practical advice to social control agencies on how to reduce appearance bias, and proposes a new sub-discipline of appearance criminology.

Author: Bonnie Berry
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 04/11/2019
Pages: 308
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 9.30h x 8.40w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781108422314

About the Author
Berry, Bonnie: - Bonnie Berry is the Director of the Social Problems Research Group and formerly university faculty. Her research interests include criminology, appearance bias, animal rights, academic misconduct and ethical violations, and all measures of social inequality. She is the author of several books and numerous scholarly journal articles. She has been awarded, among other prizes, the Inconvenient Woman of the Year Award from the American Society of Criminology's Women and Crime Division.